30 Loguetown...

A/N: Okay, let me explain to some people what happened last chapter. Tell me, do you think Ace couldn't shoot those plates? He has Observation Haki, he obviously can. But that is where the other problem comes, why is he acting like that? Tell me, would you like a person who is better than you at literally everything and smarter than you at everything, he can also do what you can but just better. Would you be friends with that person? No, you wouldn't, that is basic human psychology.

Now why would Ace decide to express that he is 'bad' as a shot? Well, he obviously did it because he wants Nojiko to pick a long range weapon and make her feel useful. People's feelings are quite brittle and can be hurt at the slightest thing. Some people express it and some don't.

P.S: Read a little between the lines, we have seen how Ace is on the inside from his POVs.

Chapter 30

Title: Loguetown...

….

I use a pair of binoculars and look at the island in front of us. A lush green island with a city on it, Loguetown, the town of the Beginning and the End. The place where my father of this world died. 

Truly amazing, though I must try and get a Log Pose here. I don't know where I will get it, but going to the Grand Line without a Log Pose is a death wish.

I also wanna know if I have a bounty now, after all destroying the 16th Marine Branch in East Blue was a public thing, killing the rat looking guy too. I plan to have a bounty of at least 300,000,000 B before I enter the New World.

After all, in that place, I will need to get an army for myself. Fighting a Yonko without an army isn't a smart thing to do. One can't also be a Yonko without an army behind them.

*sigh* Some things are truly complicated, but that doesn't matter at the moment. I only need to get my crew stronger. Sabo is good, he will only grow strong and is an amazing second in command. Deuce is good too, he is strong… in comparison to the average person, he can easily lift up Cat. Nojiko on the other hand… honestly I just took her to the crew to have a pretty face to look at when bored. She is kinda useless, though I guess I just need to find her a good Devil Fruit to make her more useful to the crew. 

But I too must keep getting stronger if I don't want to have Sabo become stronger than me. Well in raw physical power he is nowhere near me, but fights are not just physical power, there is also his fruit to take into account. The Fire-Fire Fruit is good, I would say that it's at the top of the spectrum too, as long as it's not along with the Magma Fruit which is a complete counter against it, fire can't burn magma. Then we have an Enel vs Luffy scenario.

I shake my head slightly to stop my mind from wandering off again. I need to be concentrated today.

Hmmm… maybe I can get Tashigi to join me? Nah, she doesn't seem like someone who would betray the marines. Having someone like her in my crew would be the height of stupidity, she would most likely betray me the first chance she gets. I can be convincing when I want, but not THAT convincing.

I touch the sword in my belt, I need to buy a good gun for myself too. Bullets imbued with Haki would be good for extreme long-range attacks. If I had one in the fight with Sabo, things would have been easier. Flying sword slashes are good but not that good for extreme long range.

I look at my crewmates and tell them. "Okay, once we arrive in Loguetown, I will go and buy myself a decent gun and then look at the execution platform. Anyone wanna come with me?"

"I will come." Says Nojiko while Sabo and Deuce shrug, each wanting to explore their own way.

"Okay then, we will meet back on the ship in two hours. If in three hours you are not on the ship we will come to look for you." I tell them as I turn to Cat to ask him if he wants to leave, but I only see him licking the pole of the ship and hugging it. I only narrow my eyes at him. "Stop doing that…"

I lean on that pole a lot of times, I don't wanna lean in tiger saliva. Someone will have to clean that…

….

Later on, we arrive at the shore, Sabo and Deuce go to hide the ship and I pick up Nojiko in a princess carry and jump off the ship, use <Geppo> and land on the ground.

I put Nojiko down and see that she is slightly flustered. Now, I would be proud about making a girl like her fluster just by picking her up, but I know that she was most likely scared of heights. Sadly I am not handsome enough to have girls fall for me in only one look.

"So, let's get to exploring now. Can't wait to see the exciting things this city has to offer." I tell Nojiko as an exciting look appears on my face.

I then put my hand in my pocket, making sure that the stack of cash is still there.

….

The first place that we visit is the arms shop where Zoro got his swords.

"Welcome to Loguetown Arms Shop." Greets the owner politely as he looks at me.

"Do you have any good guns?" I ask him, looking around the shop. From the corner of my eye, I can see Kitetsu in the bin of other dull swords. But I don't pay any more attention to it. I use long swords, katanas are useless to me.

"Yes, yes, of course, we do." Says the man rubbing his hands together. 

"What is the price of the best guns that you have?" I ask him, price is not truly an issue, I do have enough money saved for the journey after all. But I don't want to be ripped off by saying something like 'price is not an issue'... that is like saying 'scam me please'. 

"One million, we have a high caliber sniper rifle. It can shoot from one side of Loguetown to the other, we also have a high caliber pistol, it has half the range of the sniper, but it can shoot twenty bullets before it needs to be reloaded." Explains the man, immediately I pull out my cash stack and put half of it on the counter. 

"Thanks, we will be buying both." I tell the man as I see his eyes widen. I bet he wished he had asked for a higher price for them if he knew that I had this kind of money.

….

In the end, though we get our weapons and now I have a gun on my belt too. I also have a backpack of ammunition for my gun. Nojiko also has a backpack of ammunition for her sniper as she has it over her shoulder. 

This extreme long range of attacks suits her perfectly. She isn't exactly a good physical fighter, and the black sniper rifle has a scope.

My gun looks like a flintlock with golden engravings on it, flintlocks in this world can shoot multiple times. Technology really has taken a weird turn for this world. I will try to reverse engineer my gun and make a bunch of them for Nojiko too in case she needs to get in close quarters combat, she then can just shoot her way out of it.

"Oy! Are you Portgas D. Ace?" Says a voice behind me.

I turn around and see someone I didn't expect to meet here...

….

AUTHOR NOTE:

You will be surprised at who the person is. (Won't spoil.)